Galloway finds new base

Plymouth Argyle have signed former Everton and Luton Town defender Brendan Galloway (25) on a short-term contract. The former England youth international has agreed a deal to stay at the League One club until January. Galloway played just six times in an injuryhit two-year spell at Luton that ended this summer and has featured in four pre-season games for Argyle.

LONDON — Plymouth Argyle have signed former Everton and Luton Town defender Brendan Galloway (25) on a short-term contract.

The former England youth international has agreed a deal to stay at the League One club until January.

Galloway played just six times in an injury-hit two-year spell at Luton that ended this summer and has featured in four pre-season games for Argyle.

He played 21 times for Everton, including 17 Premier League games after joining from MK Dons in 2014.

He also had loan spells at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League and Sunderland in the Championship.

Argyle coach Ryan Lowe believes Plymouth Argyle are getting a “fantastic player”.

Should he stay fit, the left-sided defender will bring undoubted quality to the Pilgrims’ side during the 2021/22 League One campaign.

Lowe told Plymouth Live: “Brendan came in with us at the end of last season for a week and loved it. Obviously, we were aware of his injury record and it’s no secret that he hadn’t played many games.

“I had known him from MK Dons when I played with him, Neil Dewsnip (Argyle’s director of football) knew him from his Everton days, and he was available, so why not get him in?

“So we said ‘Right, we want to get you back pre-season, have a good look at you, get a couple of games under your belt’. He has not missed one day’s training and he has played in all of the games and I’m really pleased with him.

“He’s a fantastic character, but he’s also a fantastic player. He has loved every minute of it here, he wanted to stay, he had interest from other clubs.

“He has signed a short-term deal until January, based on him hopefully playing a lot of games. We will manage him, hence why he’s only playing 60-70 minutes.

“There is going to be a time when he gets 90, but that time can come. We want to make him as robust as we possibly can.

“I feel, and everyone at the club feels, that we have got a fantastic player who Argyle may not have ever got because of where he has been.

“Brendan is pleased because he sees an opportunity to play lots of games here. He knows the size of the football club and he wants to be a part of it, so really pleased to get it done.”

Galloway made just six appearances — including three starts — for Luton in two injury-hit seasons at the Championship club.

Injuries have prevented Galloway from fulfilling the potential he showed when Everton signed him from MK Dons on a five-year contract in 2014.

His short-term contract with Argyle is thought to be incentivised, meaning the more he plays the better rewarded he is.

Lowe said: “People will say it’s a risk in taking someone like Brendan Galloway. Well, we have taken him until January and we will see how his fitness develops.

“What I can say with him is he hasn’t missed a day’s training, he hasn’t missed any minutes of games, which is a good sign.”